Self-esteem, social support, and positive health practices

The purpose of this study was to identify relationships among perceived social support, self-esteem, and positive health practices among adults living in a south-western metropolitan area. The sample (N = 98) of convenience was selected from an adult apartment complex and the variables were measured using three self-report questionnaires (Personal Resource Questionnaire, Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, and Personal Life-style Activities Questionnaire). Initially, a positive association among the variables, self-esteem, social support, and life-style, was determined using a simple correlation matrix. To further explicate the relationships among the variables, a theoretical causal model was developed and tested. Using path analytic techniques, both the direct and the indirect effects of various independent variables on life-style were determined; 28% of the variance, p less than .0001, was accounted for by this model. The study suggests that both self-esteem and social support are positive indicators of life-style. Further, social support was found to exert influence indirectly through its direct effect on self-esteem.